do. Up until she’d backtracked and started gushing all that I love my best friend crap. I wasn’t going to let her take it all back. I wasn’t going to let her stuff all her hurt and frustration back inside like she’d never let it out in the first place.
She was Nathan’s salvation, and I was going to be hers. At least for the next two months.
I jutted my chin over my shoulder. “Go change. It’s time for the lake.” I needed her to move away from me, because I didn’t have the willpower to take a step back. She was too gorgeous, and she smelled too enticing.
Savy stared at me, her chest heaving, and my fingers itched to touch her. “Go.” She finally looked down at her tennis shoes, breaking eye contact at my demand and walked past me toward the stairs.
When she was out of sight I let out a sigh of relief. There was no doubt in my mind, I wanted her. I wanted to watch her fall apart in my arms. I wanted to be the only one who got to see her let loose, let go. My desire for her was close to overriding all the reasons I knew I needed to stay away.
***
“When did you get this car?”
Savy had the passenger window down, and her blonde hair was blowing in the breeze. “When I went away to school I left Nathan the Tahoe.” I gripped the steering wheel, trying really hard not to let her affect me. Trying to keep my eyes on the road and not the bikini top peeking out of her demure sundress. “I saw this parked outside the student union and had to have it.” I reached out and petted the dash of my 1969 Dodge Charger. I’d always wanted a muscle car.
“I love it.” She stroked the black leather seat next to her. “When did you start with the tattoos?”
I shrugged. “I wanted to get one to remember my dad.” I pointed to the tat on the back of my arm, love you kid, in his handwriting. “But once I started, I couldn’t seem to stop. It’s addicting.” I didn’t need to be perfect at Northeastern University. I could be whoever I wanted to be now that I was away from my brother. I didn’t have people to distract or a mom to make smile.
“Why didn’t you come home last summer?”
“Why are you so nosy?” I glanced at her, smirking, letting her know I was kidding. The truth was that I loved the freedom and ease of life away from my family. But I was too much of a coward to admit that to her. I’d been enjoying myself while she’d been barely living. “Work. I, uh, shadowed our athletic trainer all last summer.”
She nodded.
“What are the odds my brother will actually head to Yale next year?” I wanted the same for her. I wanted freedom for the beautiful girl sitting next to me. She deserved it. It was more than apparent she was craving it.
“Not good.” She sighed sadly. “Unless I go too.”
“Why Emerson?” I thought I knew the answer to this, it was in the way she made the school sound less than to Nathan. But I wanted to hear her say it out loud and admit it to herself.
“It’s a good school, it’s small. It’s in Boston, which is one of my favorite cities.” She looked out the window, holding her hand out into the breeze. “I didn’t think Nate would follow me there. Not in a million years. A liberal arts school? There isn’t anything for him at Emerson.”
“Except you.” I kept my eyes on the road as I spoke. “You’ll be at Emerson and that’s all he cares about.”
She was silent for a few minutes before she spoke again. “I’m hoping I can still convince him to go to Yale. I’m hoping that you will help me. Your dad went to Yale, and I know that’s why Nate applied.”
“I’ll do what I can. Okay?”
I’d try. I’d do everything I could to help my brother see that Boston wasn’t the place for him. That he was destined for greatness and he needed to live up to his potential. I’d spout all that crap. I’d spout it ’til the cows came home. In the end though, it’d be Savy who’d have to put her foot down. We both knew it.
“Hey, if you really do end up at Emerson, we’ll be neighbors.” I went to Northeastern she’d